Since Windaholic is new in the forum, I'm going to guess he's not very familiar with the Gorge and advise him that the Hatchery is but one of 20-30 Gorge launches which range from garbage dumps to beautiful parks, and the Oregon coast -- part of the Gorge, IMO -- is the most accessible, beautiful, expansive, varied, hands-on coast in the U.S., among the top in the world partly because every inch of it is publicly accessible and most of it is stunning. All at once it's a giant sandbox, a world-class view, exciting surf, tidal pools full of hands-on sea life, world-class kite-flying for pros and kids alike, climbing, fishing and shopping villages and cities, a world-class aquarium, incredible forest/beach/grassland/sand dune hikes for any age and ability, marvelous seafood, a break from the heat (and probably some wind) when the Gorge is baking in doldrums, movie theaters, hands-on lighthouses, big factory outlet malls, a few dozen more natural and man-made attractions ... and there's something new around every bend, described in detail every tenth of a mile in the OR Coast Guide.

I also assume from his post that he plans to balance his WSing and his family stuff, which is smart even if it DID blow every day, which it does not. Some dads have the wife drop them off at a launch so each can do his/her own thing in town. Others sail for a few hours while wife and kids watch /relax/play or drive or walk into town.

Hot springs, forests, trails, funky artsy shops of every sort, playgrounds, scores of open-air entertainment events, a highly rated art museum, WSing lessons of every level, ice caves, expansive snowfields for the little kids (in tee shirts) and snow sports for older kids including Mom & Dad, dam tours including watching big fish swim past underwater windows a few feet away, cliff diving, swimming pools, 77 waterfalls just on the Oregon side of the gorge including one @ 620 feet high ... and all that's just in the heart of the Gorge: Portland is a whole 'nuther world of attractions just an hour away. There's no reason (besides fatigue) a family can't do at least ten very different things in one day, then ten new ones the next day, and ten more the next, if they're fast enough. And if you have any energy left, you can probably go windsurfing.

How much sleep does your family need? That, not things to do, will determine how much you see and do. If your kids or wife get bored, it ain't the Gorge's fault.

Mike, I agree w a lot of what you are saying..., but I'm not sure you totally "get" what it's like to go on vacation w young kids.

He has 3 kids - anytime you have to get 3 kids in a car to go somewhere, you are on thin ice. Sure, it may be necessary to do it a few times on vacation, but to be _planning_ to do it several times a day; "first, we'll go have breakfast, then we'll go see the waterfalls, then we'll go to the river for daddy to windsurf (and which launch we go to will be decided when daddy finds out where the wind is), then we'll go back to the hotel to wash up, then we'll go for dinner and ice cream,..." repeat for 7 days, with 3 kids...

It wouldn't be relaxing..., for me, at least.

And, to make it worse, the whole time I was out on the water, I'd be worried that my 6yr old is throwing a fit because, she's tired/bored/cranky from looking at waterfalls all morning, and needs to get back to the hotel. If that happens, I know for sure I'm going to see one of my other kids down at the shore gesticulating wildly as I approach for a jibe, and in the background, my wife packing up the stuff to leave.

Some families can pull off anything, and maybe windaholic's family is one of those. I know mine isn't in that category.

My formula for a successful family windsurfing vacation has always been: comfortable hotel, right on the windsurfing beach, preferably with a pool, and other kids. The ocean is great for swimming, boogie boarding etc. The rental windsurf gear is a within a few hundred yards. there is at least a small snack bar/restaurant right near by. I hang w the family when it's not windy, and when it is windy I go windsurfing.

When I get in from sailing I am greeted thusly: "Oh, were you out sailing?..., we didn't even realize you were gone..., there's a cold beer in the fridge.., why don't you grab one and we can watch the kids playing with their new friends in the sand down on the beach"

No cars, no schedule, ... just relaxing.

where can you do this? Unfortunately, not many places near the USA.

In the Caribbean, there's Cabarete, Barbados, Aruba. Bonaire requires driving, so it doesn't quite hit all the bases.

Out west: a couple places in Baja. Maui doesn't really work.

there are many places in the Med where it works; Italy, Spain, Greece, Turkey, Egypt, The Canaries. All these places have top quality windsurfing rentals right on great, family-friendly, beaches with decent accommodations. Plus, (at some of them) your family gets to experience a little bit of the European way of life.

As I'm sure you have, I've seen both extremes. One bud takes most of the day to pack up three toddlers, a tent, and a DVD player in the van, whereas another takes minutes to buckle in the kid and hit the road. I suspect that between our diverse scenarios, Windaholic can more accurately assess his family's fit into either of those molds or some interim compromise ... the goal of presenting both sides of an issue.

I am right now in my 2. week at South Padre Island, HOT wind , sand, and hot shallow water, not much to do for kids, unless they like to get roasted.
Wind is relentless, so this is good for the windaholic lol

Posted: Sun May 03, 2009 7:07 pm Post subject: Thanks for all of the feedback.

Thanks for all of your feedback. I appreciate everyones comments. It seems like my delema is nothing new. Little kids and windsurfing trips do not really jibe well together.

Although I am a new member here, I have been around since the early days of the Wind Hot Line. I typically sail at the Jersey Shore and have made trips to Shelter Island, Hatteras (probably 20 plus times), the Gorge, Cabarete, Curaco, Margareta, and the Florida Keys.

I have taken my kids to Hatteras a few times, and camp at Frisco Woods. However, in April, the windsurfing is usually good, but "kid stuff" is usually still closed for the season and we spend a lot of time at gift shops.

This spring, we ended giving our vactaion money to Mickey Mouse. We spent a week at Disey; great family stuff, but no windsurfing.

I like the idea of staying in a resort within walking distrance to water & equipment. Loading kids in and out of a van all day is not fun (we can do that at home). I also heard a lot of people say that Aruba gets very pricey.

I must say that the Med seems interesting, something I need to consider.

l will say one thing about to family vacation, in any condition you can relax in cool temperature in a resting. additionally, they appreciate the beach water environment for the children and the big enable the staff to give

l will say one thing about to family vacation, in any condition you can relax in cool temperature in a resting. additionally, they appreciate the beach water environment for the children and the big enable the staff to give

9 years since anyone posted on this thread and you sound drunk_________________K4 fins
4Boards....May the fours be with you

l will say one thing about to family vacation, in any condition you can relax in cool temperature in a resting. additionally, they appreciate the beach water environment for the children and the big enable the staff to give

9 years since anyone posted on this thread and you sound drunk

Or maybe he just has a problem writing in English. Quite familiar with that.

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